JUST ONE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING... THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A HOMELESS CLEANUP... ALONG THE CORRALITOS RIVER... IT'S A POPULAR SPOT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO LIVE AND POLICE SAY...DO DRUGS. HERE'S THE STORY FROM ACTION NEWS REPORTER MICHELLE IMPERATO. ### NAT SOUND CLEANING UP AS FAST AS THEY WENT UP.HOMELESS CAMPSITES ALONG THE CORRALITOS CREEK CAME DOWN THIS MORNING. NAT SOUND SEARGANT ALAN BURT WITH THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS TENTS AND MAKESHIFT HOMES POP UP ALONG THE CREEK, DAILY. HOMELESS PEOPLE, MANY ON DRUGS AND DEALING DRUGS, STEAL FROM THE SAFEWAY ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD AND FROM CARS IN THE PARKING LOT. AND SET UP CAMPS WITH THE STOLEN GOODS. SOME MAKE IT THEIR HOME... OTHERS JUST STOP IN FOR A QUICK FIX ASIDE FROM IT BEING UNSANITARY IT'S ALSO DANGEROUS 9:41-03 I think as long as we have this overgrowth here and the close proximity of the shopping center we're going to have people that cant necessarily go to the shelters due to the fact that they're on drugs and alcohol they're going to come and use this area camping, use drugs we had a fire down here the other night they were cooking meth and it lit 6 tents on fire STANDUP 7:37-52 IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE BUT JUST ONE WEEK AGO, SGT BURT SAYSTHIS AREA HERE WAS A FULLY ENCLOSED MAKESHIFT HOME HE BELIEVES THE WOMAN WHO WAS LIVING HERE TOOK DOWN THE FOUR WALLS AND THE DOOR AND MOVED HER STUFF A LITTLE BIT FUTHER DOWN THE CREEK 11:20-27 they move up the stream where they know we wont be cleaning that time and they just set up their camps ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO SGT BURT WALKED THROUGH AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THEY WOULD BE DOING THE SWEEP GIVING THEM TIME TO PACK UP AND MOVE BURT SAYS THEY NEEDED TO CLEAR THIS AREA OUT, NOW BEFORE THE RAIN COMES 12:17-33 we wanted to get this whole area cleaned out before the rains and once it rains everything gets heavier you see there's probably 20 mattresses down there, those things go from 40 pounds to 400 pounds when they're soaked so it's a lot harder, mud becomes hard and they just bring in more tarps more stuff to make it winterized THIS MORNING EVERYONE WAS GONE BUT THEY LEFT BEHIND ALL KIND OF DEBRIS... MATTRESSES, TARPS, FOOD, CLOTHING ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE REALLY A HEARTBREAKING SIGHT FOR WATSONVILLE RESIDENT KEN... WHO CAME TO HELP OUT. 14:10-222 we grew up steelhead fishing on this creek as kids back when there was a lot of water and a lot of fish and its just kind of sad that more people aren't outraged by this, we're just doing what we can to clean it up SGT BURT SAYS HE PLANS TO COME BACK TO THE SITE EVERY WEEK... AND CITE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING DRUGS AND LIVING HERE. IN WATSONVILLE MICHELLE IMPERATO KSBW ACTION NEWS 8. ### COMING UP: THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Blazes raging in forests and woodlands across California have taken the life of a firefighter and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as crews continue to battle the flames from the air and the ground.